~ Commentary from Rutgers urban planning students

Urban Renewal: The New BOOM!

Big cities surpassed the rate of growth of their surrounding suburbs at an even faster clip, a sign of America’s continuing preference for urban living after the economic downturn quelled enthusiasm for less-crowded expanses. Farther-out suburbs known as exurbs saw their growth slip to 0.35 percent, the lowest in more than a decade. A sign that people are choosing to live in urban areas and the feel of a busy environment. Economists generally had played down the recent city boom as an aberration, predicting that young adults in the recovering economy would soon be back on the move after years of staying put in big cities. But the widening gains for cities in 2012 indicate that young people — as well as would-be retirees seeking quieter locales — are playing it safe for a while longer in dense urban cores, where jobs may be easier to find and keep. Cities with booming regional economies continue to see the biggest gains — from Seattle and San Francisco to Austin, Texas, Raleigh, N.C., and Washington, D.C., locales seeing a burst of new apartment construction. “Cities have become more appealing to young people, with more things to do and places to see,” said Mark Obrinsky, chief economist at the National Multi Housing Council, a Washington-based trade group. “Many of the cities are committing themselves to regrowth and development, and in newer cities like Dallas we’re beginning to see new restaurants, bars and apartments in the downtown areas that put it a bit closer to being a 24-hour city.” He noticed that the difference between city and suburbs is blurred because there’s no longer a clear line between an economic center where people work and suburban bedroom communities. Both can be converted into major companies and residences. Many closer-in suburbs linked to a city with public transit or well-developed roadways are benefiting from strong city growth, while far-flung areas near the metropolitan edge are fizzling after heady growth during the mid-decade housing boom. Maybe with more people wanting to live in the urban communities there will be more money going towards public school, transportation, and public parks. I have seen that the west coast is the front runners for this new change wondering why having cities like New York or Boston taken to this new economy trend. But the down side to this is that, half of Americans have gone the way of dependency. One only has to look at the social disaster that has inflicted on the Native and the African American population to accurately foresee the future. Also, those cities reporting growth are bankrupt. The state and federal government are financing their own doom.